The urgency of now
Our commitment to innovation in cancer treatment
As Europe faces a rise in cancer cases, with over 5,4 million new diagnoses expected by 2045, the need for advanced cancer treatment options has never been more urgent. The Anticancer Fund calls on European policymakers to take action.
Our Manifesto 2024 sets forth steps to ensure that future advancements in cancer treatment are accessible, affordable, and effective.
The Manifesto 2024: steps for change
Our Manifesto 2024-2029 outlines specific actions that can transform cancer treatment. We ask policy makers to address them within the next five years.
What is needed?
Broaden the research focus
To work towards a future where cancer is no longer a life-threatening disease, we believe that all potentially impactful cancer research must be given equal attention. Incentivizing valuable research outside the scope of drug developers, supporting pragmatic clinical research, and ensuring an efficient assessment process are key objectives.
Adapt regulation
We urge the adoption of Article 48 to empower non-profits/academics in drug repurposing. Article 48 of the Commission Pharma Package Regulation proposal wants to achieve a concrete and effective role of not-for-profit entities in the repurposing of authorized medicines, including repurposing patented drugs for rare diseases. This can speed up the process of making more treatments available, especially for rare diseases.
Establish public cross-border trials
We advocate for the initiation of public clinical trial platforms across European member states, dedicated to cancer treatments. These platforms would standardize and accelerate the testing and approval of new cancer treatments, ensuring that all patients across Europe have access to the best therapies.
How can you help?
We call on European policymakers and stakeholders to support these initiatives:
- Endorse and implement Article 48 to empower non-profits in drug repurposing.
- Promote the establishment of public clinical trial platforms across all member states.
- Engage in discussions about innovative funding models that include public and private investment in cancer research.
Specifically, this is what should be done:
- Reinforce EMA’s (European Medicines Agency) role in approval of publicly funded clinical trials and clinical trial platforms in oncology.
- Support mandatory Scientific Advice, related to registrational studies, from EMA and HTA jointly.
- Support the creation of a drug evidence watch process at EMA.
- Initiate an automatic procedure for joint HTA reviews applicable for drugs which received a positive scientific opinion for new indications under Article 48 of the proposed Regulation.
Get informed and involved
Make Europe a leader in the development of innovative, impactful and affordable cancer treatments
The current research in oncology focuses on developing new cures with substantial financial returns. Europe urgently requires a pathway to bring treatments— lacking commercial appeal such as surgery, radiotherapy, and drugs used off-label —to patients.
Please contact info@anticancerfund.org if you would like to learn more about our detailed proposals and how you can contribute to make these changes a reality.
Beyond our investment in cancer research and cancer care, the Anticancer Fund addresses governments and decision-makers, especially on the European level. Our participation in policy discussions aims to drive change.
